Glow lamp circuit



1933- M. J. DRUYVESTEYN ,0

GLOW LAMP CIRCUIT Filed Dec. 21, 1929 INVENTOR M. J- DRUYVESTEYN ATTORNEY Patented' Feb. 28,1933 I orrlcs ooaroaa'noiv or names, 1 CORPORATIOHIYQF-DELAWABE eLoW LAMP cIc um Application filed December a1,- 1929,- Serial no. 415,838. win up mtnman'a; memb r 15, was.

When a discharge. tube with independentdischarge, for example a neon tube, is used: "for conv'erting electric current variations 1nto light-variations,- one is sometimes, namely w en the gaseous filling is not or no longer pure, troubled by a certain inertia in the igni-.

' tion of the tube, i. e.-the tube is'only ignited a short moment after the tension has reached its'value of ignition. .It is evident that with re rapidly succeeding current variations such as occur, for example, in the so-called television,

be made if desired, of one or more auxiliary electrodes arranged in'the tube.

W The discharge tube with independent discharge which is to be used in that case, maycomprise in addition to a cathode and an anode at least one auxiliary anode whichispreferably arranged outside the main disdimensions.

Accordingto the invention, the circuit-arrangement for operating a tube of this construction is such that the auxiliary anode is connected through a high resistance in series with a source of current to the cathode of the tube. n 1 1 The invention will be more clearly under stood by referring to the accompanying drawing which represents by way of example two diagrams of execution; In the drawing:

Figure 1 gives an example of the use of an auxiliary anode; and,

Figure 2 shows an example in which the auxiliary discharge is produced between the same electrodes as the main discharge.

Within a bulb 1 which is provided with a',

suitable gaseous filling are arranged a plateshapedcathode 2,- an anode 3 in the shape of a wire-frame and an also wire-shaped auxiliary anode 4. (Figure 1.) The latter anode is connected througha high resistance 5 (from 5 to megohms) to the plus pole of a battery so 6 which has a voltage of for example 400-500 able phenomenon can be avoided by enter-,

charge path and which need only have small.

limiter-10 may also be replaced with an ohmic volts, the minus-pole of the said battery being connected to thecathode2; -A tapping-point 7jof thebattery 6 is connected through a resistance 8 whose value, for example .1000 ohms, is considerably smaller 5 than that of .the resistance, 5 and through a .chokecoil-9- to the main anode 3.

The current variations which are to be converted'into light pass through the said choke coil and produce across its ends voltage fluctu- I ations which cause the main discharge of the tube tovary accordingly;

the coil 9 are superposed on the direct voltage of the part of the In 'fact, the alternate voltages induced in The resulting voltage consequently is variable and is liable to fall now and then below the I extinguishing voltage at which the main discharge is interrupted. ,However, when the 7 voltage of the battery 6 is so chosen as to be .sufiiciently high the auxiliary discharge between the auxiliary anode 4 and the cathode 2 will be entertained. Due to the high value of the resistance 5 the intensity of the auxiliary dischargecurrent will be however so' small 7 that the glowremaining on the cathodeis too feeble to be troublesome. On the other hand, in two respects the 'presence of this continuous feeble auxiliary discharge has a favorable'inac fiuence. First, the tube will be ignited without inertia-assoon as the voltage between 2an'd 3'has reached-the ignition-value and secondly the difference between the ignition voltage and the extinguishing voltage will be less.

With the circuit-arrangement shown in Figure 2 the main discharge passes through the following circuit: cathode 2,.anode 3,

valve-tube 11, choke coil 9, part of battery 6 back to the cathode 2. The function of the valve 11 will appear below. The ohmic resistance of the valve 11 added to theiohmic resistance of the coil 9 is usually sufiicient to stabilize the main discharge. If not, an extra-resistance has to be inserted.

The auxiliary discharge takes the following path: cathode-2, anode 3, current limiter 10, battery 6 and back to the cathode 2. The

resistance. 100

attery 6 which is located 5. between the minus-terminal-and the point 7 The valve-tube 11 prevents the upper part of the battery 6 from continually disc ar 'ng itself over the limiter 10 and the branch w ich comprises the choke coil 9.

5 The accompanyin drawing and specifica tion shows by way 0% example one of the several forms which the invention may assume, but I believe myself to be entitled to make and use any and all modifications such as would readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art, and such as'would fall fairly within the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the claims.

Having now described m invention, what I claim and desire to secure y Letters Patent is the following:

1. In a circuit arrangement for operating a glow discharge tube, an envelope enclosing a plurality of electrode elements between 3. which a main and an auxiliary glow discharge takes place, means for connecting the cathode of the glow discharge lamp through a plurality of parallel paths with the second electrode of the lamp to produce glow discharge,

one of said parallel paths comprising a source of direct current and a thermionic current limiting device and the other of said parallel paths comprising a portion of the source of direct current for actuating the lamp, a source of controlling oscillations and a series con nected resistance element. 4

2. A system for operating glow discharge tubes which comprises a gas-filled envelope containing a plurality of electrodes, means v for initiating an auxiliary discharge between two electrodes, said means com rising a source of current and a thermionic current limiting device series connected between the electrode elements, and means for producing within said elements also a main glow dis- 1 charge, said means comprising a source of current, a source of oscillations and a series connected vacuum tube resistance element, said second glow discharge initiating means being connected in parallel with said first glow discharge initiating means.

MARI JOHAN DRUYVESTEYN, 

